The invention relates generally to systems and methods for spraying substances, such as coating fluids (e.g., paint).
A variety of spray devices may be used to apply a spray to a target object. For example, spray devices often employ a gas, such as pressurized air, to atomize a liquid (e.g., paint) to generate a spray, which is then directed toward the target object to create a coating. Unfortunately, these spray devices flow the gas (e.g., air) through a series of air passages, which abruptly change in direction before exiting a head of the spray device. For example, the air passages may include a plurality of straight passages (e.g., separately drilled bores) that intersect one another at abrupt angles, which may be 45 to 90 degrees. As a result of these abrupt angles, the spray devices experience significant pressure drop and turbulence in the air flow (e.g., generally degraded air flow), which negatively impacts the spray forming downstream of the head of the spray device. These abrupt angles also generate noise as the air flow must abruptly change in direction. Furthermore, the degraded air flow may cause irregularities, deformities, and general non-uniformity in the spray. As a result, the spray may not provide a uniform coating on a target object. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved spray device.